(Communicated by the Prime Minister’s Media Adviser)

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met today (Wednesday), 29.12.04, with the IDF Brigade Commanders Forum. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon and other senior IDF officers were also present. At the beginning of the meeting, Prime Minister Sharon said that he had summoned them in order to hear from commanders on the ground. He asked them to comment on the issues of mortar fire, the Disengagement Plan, refusal and the evacuation of outposts. The Prime Minister noted that the Disengagement Plan has been approved by both the Government and the Knesset and would be implemented according to the determined timetable. Prime Minister Sharon emphasized that a condition to any diplomatic process is the cessation of terrorism: “There is no restriction by the political leadership on the war on terrorism. This is your principal mission. While it is the Palestinians who must deal with terrorism, as long as they do not eliminate the terrorist infrastructures, the IDF will do so. There will be no restriction on you as long as the Palestinians do not eliminate terrorism, and this has been made clear to the world leaders with whom I have spoken. On the issue of the war on terrorism, Israel will make no concessions.” As a former brigade commander himself, Prime Minister Sharon asked the officers to express their opinions even if they are different, not to be deterred and to try to be persuasive. The officers discussed their activities in the war on terrorism and their efforts to combat mortar shelling and Kassam fire. They added that the soldiers were sometimes disappointed by the attitude towards them in the media. They explained that alongside the endless fighting, the soldiers feel that there are certain instances in which they are manipulated and treated cynically. Most of the officers said that they do not feel that refusal or a failure to understand the IDF’s mission is major phenomena. Regarding the outposts, the officers explained the legal problems that they have encountered and noted that every outpost whose evacuation has been approved by the legal authorities has been evacuated. The officers discussed the need to increase communication with the residents who are supposed to be evacuated under the framework of the Disengagement Plan and with rabbis who are calling for soldiers to refuse to obey orders. They added that residents are increasingly accepting that the Disengagement Plan will be implemented and the phenomenon of denial among residents is disappearing. On this matter, several officers commented that there is a large group that is increasingly interested in evacuating and are waiting for those who will “lead the way”; however, there is also a group – many of whom are not resident of the area – that is seriously planning to fight the evacuating forces. The officers requested that necessary operations be carried out to ensure that law and order are maintained and that the situation does not deteriorate. The officers raised the point of the importance of completing the security fence and of coordinating with the Palestinians at the level of commanders on the ground. Prime Minister Sharon thanked the officers for their actions and words, and said that this is an exceptional group and that, “The State of Israel can be proud that its security is in the hands of such people.” The Prime Minister expressed his trust, that as in the past, the IDF will successfully carry out the complicated mission before it. On the matter of refusing orders, the Prime Minister said that there needs to be a daily flow of information so that the public will understand the dangers that this phenomenon poses to the stability of the government in a democratic country. The Prime Minister said that it is necessary to fight the phenomenon of refusal to obey orders with full force and with all the resources available to Israeli society. Prime Minister Sharon asked that the war against terror not be relaxed, since without the elimination of terrorist infrastructures, Israel will be unable to make progress in the diplomatic sphere. The Prime Minister emphasized the necessity of continuous operations against terrorism until disengagement is implemented, and afterwards. Prime Minister Sharon asked that the Chief-Of-Staff and OC Southern Command hasten efforts to finding a solution to the tunnel problem: “Don’t let your guard down; find and realize good and creative solutions in the war against terrorism and against the tunnels.” Prime Minister Sharon summarized the discussion and said that Israel has been in more difficult situations in the past and was successful, and therefore we need to look forward with optimism.